


Happy Talk

by space_squirrel



Series: Warrior Daughter [7]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Drinking to Cope, F/M, Heavy Drinking, I love Viola I can't help it, Month of Fanfiction, Rare Pairings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-02
Updated: 2017-08-02
Packaged: 2018-12-10 10:00:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,172
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11689323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/space_squirrel/pseuds/space_squirrel
Summary: Kaidan runs into Doctor Viola Banks at the Dark Star Lounge.Written for the "Month of Fanfiction" challenge on Tumblr, prompts by joufancyhuh & yourlocalpriestess; Day 2: A Rare Pair.





	Happy Talk

**Clearly I had to take this opportunity to write about my oddly favourite (very) rare pair - Kaidan & The Citadel Doctor (aka my OC Viola Banks). If you've read my Citadel doctor fic, "Headlines & Footnotes", this is essentially Kaidan's POV on their first non-hospital meeting (in chapter one!) at the Dark Star Lounge. **

**Sidenote - the title for this one (sticking with the news theme!) comes from the news term, "happy talk", which refers to the casual banter that occurs between news anchors and/or other on-air personalities.**

  

* * *

 

 _Six months,_ Kaidan thinks as he stares at the half-empty glass of whiskey in front of him and blinks slowly, trying to focus his eyes. 186 sleepless nights, or 4464 of the longest hours of his life.

Six months sounds like a long time - but 186 days?

That’s nothing.

Not nearly long enough to heal his shattered heart; nowhere near long enough to forget the enigma that was Sophie Shepard, the woman behind the Commander.

He wishes he could forget. Wishes his dreams weren't haunted by the way her blue eyes crinkled when she smiled, or the way she’d raise one eyebrow ever-so-slightly when she was trying not to laugh. He wishes he could walk through the Presidium without hearing the lovely lilt of her voice echoing in his ears, wishes that on those long and lonely nights, he could forget the breathy sound of her moans as she came undone beneath him in the quiet among the stars.

But he can’t forget her, no matter how hard he tries - no matter how many bottles of whiskey he drinks - and his friends had finally had enough of his moping ( _not that he blamed them),_ and insisted on dragging him out to the Dark Star Lounge to, as Fergie so suavely put it, “Meet a nice lass or lad and take ‘em home”. He’d given Kaidan an exaggerated wink and waggled his eyebrows, refusing to take no for an answer.

Kaidan had begrudgingly agreed - his friends did not know the full extent of his grief, of his mourning; he could have never possibly explained the _hows_ or _whys_ of his fraternization. Instead, he had let them believe he was shaken by the destruction of the Normandy, experiencing survivour's guilt over the death of 20 crew members, including his CO.

It was easier that way, at first. But that excuse only held up for so long, which is how he ended up sitting here tonight, too many whiskeys in to count but no less miserable than he had been hours ago.

He downs the rest of his drink and decides to close his tab and get the hell out of dodge - if he can manage to sneak out without catching flack from Fergie and the guys, that is.

He looks around for the turian bartender, and easily spots him a few seats over, placing two drinks in front of another patron, who is downing a pink-coloured shot.

Kaidan’s gaze turns to the bartender as he waits for him to to turn around, when suddenly a glass of whiskey is sliding his way. Surprised, he looks back over in the woman’s direction and is met with a smile as she tilts her head and flips her black, cloud-like hair over one shoulder, revealing the smooth expanse of her neck.

 _She looks familiar,_ Kaidan thinks, though he can’t quite place _where_ it is he’s seen her before. He doesn’t have a chance to figure it out before Fergie is clapping him on the shoulder with a soft “yeah buddy!” and waving the woman over.

“Viola,” she says, clicking her her glass to his as she slides into the seat next to him. Fergie gives him a a sly smile and thumbs up before turning his attention back to the boys.

“Kaidan,” he says, giving Viola a smile as they both sip their drinks. _Shit,_ he thinks, as the whiskey rolls over his tongue, _she ordered top shelf._

“So, Kaidan,” she begins, twirling her wine glass on the bar and looking up at him through long lashes. “What brings a guy like you to a place like this tonight?”

He shrugs, jerking his thumb over his shoulder. “Ask these guys. It was their idea, not mine.”

Viola laughs at that, clapping her hands. “Same! I was not in the mood to come out tonight, but my friend insisted,” she nods across the room at a petite blonde dancing - in sky-high red heels, no less - with a buxom redhead. “And Sera quickly found a friend, so... here I am.”

“I can drink to that,” Kaidan replies, and Viola grins widely, clinking their glasses together a second time.

She easily finishes her glass of wine, and shoots him a quick look. “Another round?”

Before he can say no, Viola is flagging down the bartender and two more drinks appear in front of them.

Kaidan glances at the drinks, then back at the woman sitting before him. _What the hell,_ he thinks as he picks up the glass, already feeling a little tipsy from the previous hours spent drinking with Ferg and the guys. Viola seems kind, and they both are here against their better judgement, so at least they have that in common. _Plus,_ he rationalizes, _it would be rude to leave now, after she’s just bought two rounds._

He resolves to stay for at least a third, if not a fourth, so he can pay; but as the night goes on he finds himself actually having an enjoyable time, slipping easily into a variety of conversations with _Doctor_ Viola, as he'd learned ( _that was it, he must have seen her before at Huerta),_  and she even manages to make him genuinely laugh a few times. 

 _This is new,_ he thinks, laughing again; truth be told he hasn’t smiled this much, laughed this easily, since before—   he shakes the thought away. There’s not point to ruining what’s turned into a nice evening with those... darker thoughts.

Kaidan turns his attention back to Viola, who is looking at him expectantly.

“Earth to Kaidan,” she says, waving a hand at him. “Where’d you go just then?”

“It’s not important,” he says, though his heart clenches painfully at the casual tone he forces into his voice. “Did you say something?"

“I said I’m hungry,” she looks down, bites her lip, and then looks back up at him, a new boldness flashing behind her rich brown eyes. “Do you want to get out of here? I know a place that’s still open and makes a _fantastic_ poutine.”

Kaidan can’t help but smile at that. And he _is_ hungry, he realizes, as he glances at the clock. He’s been drinking for hours, and with his biotic metabolism he’s, quite frankly, surprised it took him this long to realize his stomach is growling. “You’re speaking my Canadian language,” he says, stumbling slightly as he stands. “Lead the way.”

She grabs his hand and tugs him towards the door, and Kaidan is sure he hears Ferg hooting as they exit.

 


End file.
